


Strength of Will

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: The Borgias, The Borgias (2011)
Genre: Community: cottoncandy_bingo, Gen, Implied Incest, Implied Relationships, Post Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-27
Updated: 2012-12-27
Packaged: 2017-11-22 15:42:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/611457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of the season two finale, Cesare and Lucrezia confess to each other their sins regarding their brother. Cesare is both shocked and impressed by Lucrezia's admission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strength of Will

**Author's Note:**

> For the cottoncandy-bingo prompt 'Admission / Confession'.

"Do you think God is punishing us?" Lucrezia asked. She and Cesare were waiting for the physicians to report on their father's condition. They were sitting on a long seat in one of the many corridors. She was as close to him as she could get, her head resting on his shoulder, one hand clutching at his.

"If God wished to punish me, he would not harm my father," Cesare replied. He didn't add _he would harm you_. "Besides, why should you be punished, my love?"

She was a silent a long moment. "Did you really kill Juan?"

Cesare stared at the wall. Micheletto had borne witness to the act, his father had guessed it, Lucrezia and his mother surely knew it, but he'd yet to confess it so openly.

"Yes," he said bluntly. Then, softly, "Can you forgive me?" It was God he should repent to, but it was only Lucrezia's opinion that he truly cared about.

"I can." She squeezed his hand and sat upright. "I do. Yet I would confess something to you."

He blinked, turned to face her. "I am no longer a cardinal. I cannot absolve you."

"In this matter, I pay no mind to that fact."

Cesare gave a wry smile. She, too, cared more for his opinion than for the teachings of the Church. What did that say of the Holy Father and his exulted position, that his own children were so faithless?

"Then tell me. I can think of nothing you can tell me that I cannot forgive."

She moistened her lips. "I tried to kill him first."

Cesare's eyes widened in shock but he said nothing.

"I moved a candle so it would burn through a rope and bring the chandelier down upon him," she said. "My only regret is that his whore died and not him."

Cesare let this sink in. He would never forget the horrific scene of the woman impaled upon Juan's bed – though it was just one moment of horror amongst so many he'd witnessed recently. In battle, at the convent, and, just tonight, seeing the blood spray from his father's food taster's mouth before witnessing his father fall victim to the same poison.

There was always the chance that any accident befalling one of them was in fact an assassination attempt. Yet Cesare had never imagined that, if the incident were due to sabotage, it had been at Lucrezia's hand.

He'd killed Juan not just to save their family's reputation, nor only in response to Juan's constant japes and their father's favouritism of him, but because Juan had abused and upset Lucrezia and her child. When she'd asked about poison he'd known she was thinking about assassinating Juan. However, not knowing she had already tried and failed in such an endeavour, he'd taken the burden for himself, not wanting her to sully her hands with death, not wanting her to risk her soul, not wanting Rodrigo's wrath to fall upon her. As the eldest son it was his duty to protect the family – _Lucrezia_ – at all costs, and from all things, even each other.

He saw now that they were more alike than he'd previously realised, Lucrezia and he. His cardinal robes and her fine dresses had for too long hidden their true, predatory, natures.

She squeezed at his hand again and chewed at her lip. He'd been silent too long, lost in his introspection, and clearly she feared his disapproval.

"I did not know that," he said. He felt a surge of pride at her strength of will, her ruthlessness, but somehow that seemed the wrong thing to admit. "Truly you are grown strong. I fear less for you now, knowing that if Alfonso proves cruel you will not this time hesitate to reprimand your husband." 

Still, if she failed, he would once again finish the job. Sforza, Juan…if Alfonso hurt Lucrezia, Cesare would gladly stick a knife into his guts too.

She gave him a warm smile that was as radiant as the sun. He leaned over and kissed her golden hair. No matter what happened, so long as she lived, he had hope. Together, they could accomplish anything.


End file.
